Authoritarian Chinese leader Xi Jinping participated in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit last week, encouraging the Western Hemisphere to adopt the Belt and Road Chinese debt-trap scheme and stating that China views the region as a “key partner in enhancing solidarity.”
CELAC is a left-leaning platform that can be likened to the Organization of American States (OAS). It is presently conducting a head-of-state conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted by socialist President Alberto Fernandez. Argentina is a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner, as are various other members of the coalition.